Folding display rack



Dec. l, 1953 F. DRuEcK, JR

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. 10, 1948 EZ' A 5 sheets-sheet -1 KW ff//MW W, /f/MZZE y Dec. E953 F. DRUECK, JR 2,661,176

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Dec. l, 1953 F. DRuEcK, .1R 2,661,176v

FOLDING DISPLAY RACK Filed Dec. l0, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet /p@ we 7%@ 7; 5 /y and l1 so as to modify the shape and size of the aperture in the gripping portion 4. Thus, in the form of the device shown in Figs. to 8 inclusive, the lateral margins of the aperture are curved so as to accommodate a bottle or other object of circular cross section. The curved cuts provide shoulders to restrain forward motion of the bottle.

In the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the positions of the tongues and the connector piece are reversed so that the connector piece lies in a horizontal position rather than in a vertical position when the rack is assembled. In this form of the device a sheet ||0 is horizontally scored at and ||2. The score lines I and ||2 are parallel to one another and are interrupted, the interruptions in the score lines being in perpendicular alignment with one another. The score lines define a base portion ||3, a gripping portion ||4 and a display portion ||5.

The sheet ||0 is cut at ||6 and ||1, each cut extending substantially perpendicularly from a margin of the interruption of the score line to the adjacent margin of the interruption of the score line H2. cuts ||6 and I|1 are curved outwardly so that the aperture in the assembled display rack will be of appropriate shape to accommodate a bottle or other object of circular cross section. The lower portions of the curves in the score lines ||6 and ||1 form shoulders |I8 and ||9.

A pair of spaced, upwardly converging cuts and |2| define, with the lower portions of the cuts ||6 and ||1, a tongue |22. An inverted U-shaped cut |23 is placed between the converging ends of the cuts |20 and |2|, and cuts ||6 and 1. I'he cut |23, together with cuts ||6 and ||1, defines a bifurcated tongue |24 having arms |25 and |26 which span the narrow end of the tongue |22. The cut |23, together with cuts |20 and |2|, dei-lne an inverted U shaped connector piece |21 having outwardly aring extremities |21a. and |21b. Score lines |28 and |29 provide a hinge between the outwardly flaring extremities |21a and |2112 of the connector piece and the arms |25 and |26 of the bifurcated tongue |24. A score line provides a hinge between the connector piece |21 and the tongue |22. The score lines |28, |29 and. |30 are preferably creased scores, to retain the strength of the full thickness of the sheet.

The display rack may be moved to the assembled position illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 simply by bending it along the score lines and ||2. When these bends are made, the base portion V||3 rests in a horizontal position, the tongue |22 being integral therewith and extending rearwardly therefrom. The gripping portion ||4 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the base portion ||3, and the display portion ||5 surmounts the gripping portion ||4 in an upright position, with the bifurcated tongue |24 forming an integral downward extension thereof. The connector piece |21 hinges on the tongue |22 and the scoring line |30 so as to lie in a horizontal position with its closed end overlapping said tongue and its arms extending rearwardly to their hinged connections |28 and |29, with the arms |25 and |26 of the bifurcated tongue |24.

The motion of the tongues |22 and |24 and the connector piece |21 relative to the gripping portion ||4 of the rack leaves an aperture in said gripping portion, said aperture having the tongue |22 beneath it and the tongue |24 along its back As previously explained, the

.4 side. A display item such as the bottle indicated in dot-dash lines in Figs. 6 to 8, may be inserted in the aperture with its base resting on the connector piece |21 and the tongue |22, and its upright surface braced against the tongue |24. The cuts ||6 and ||1 form the lateral margins of the aperture, and the shoulders ||8 and ||9, formed by the lower parts of the curves in said cuts, retain the bottle against forward motion. It is thus noted that the engagement of the display item with the lateral margins ||6 and ||1 of the aperture, together with its pressure against the tongues |22 and |24, retains the rack in assembled position. Upon removal of the display item from the aperture, the rack collapses into a plane sheet with the tongues and the connector piece lying in laterally overlapping relationship' in the aperture as seen in Fig. 5.

The foregoing detailed description is given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A one-piece folding display rack of sheet material, comprising: a horizontal, unitary base member which lies in a single plane, an upwardly and rearwardly extending gripping portion hinged to the rear margin of said base member,

.said gripping portion having an aperture to receive a display item. an upright display member hinged to and surmounting said gripping portion, an integral rigid tongue on each of said members and extending toward the plane of the other of said members, the first of said tongues being narrow and the second of said tongues being bifurcated and having the ends of its two arms flanking and spaced laterally from said first tongue. and a U-shaped connector piece which has its two arms hinged to said second tongue along a single transverse line and which is hinged to the end of said first tongue along a transverse line parallel to said single transverse line which lies between the arms of the U so that said connector piece lies in a plane parallel to the rst tongue and has its base portion in facing contact with a portion of said lrst tongue, said display rack being retained in assembled position by engagement of a display item with the lateral margins of said aperture and pressure thereof against said tongues and being collapsible so as to lie in a single plane with the tongues and connector piece lying in the aperture in laterally adjacent relationship.

2. The display rack of claim 1 in which the margins of the aperture are shouldered to resist forward motion of a display item therein.

3. The display rack of claim 1 in which the bifurcated tongue is on the display member.

4. The display rack of claim 1 in which the bifurcated tongue is on the base member.

FRED DRUECK, JR.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 951,294. Tracy Mar 8, 1910 1,147,689 Stranders July 20, 1915 1,194,801 Williamson Aug. 15, 1916 1,458,170 Dietsche June 12, 1923 1,470,218 Dietsche Oct. 9, 1923 1,546,983 House July 21, 1925 1,699,875 Burgess Jan. 22, 1929 1,718,319 Towell June 25,v 1929 2,315,617 Harrison Apr. 6, 1943 

